Q&A with 2024 Rock Star of the Supply Chain – Top Warehousing Star, Murali V.

We recently shared that three TA Services team members were recognized by Food Logistics as recipients of 2024 Rock Star of the Supply Chain awards. The Rock Stars of the Supply Chain awards recognize influential individuals in the global supply chain and this year, the award was broken down into four categories:

• Rising Stars – recognizes young or newer professionals (39 and under) whose achievements, hard work, and vision have shaped the supply chain network.
• Top Warehousing Stars – recognizes professionals in the storage and warehousing space.
• Top Shippers – Recognizes professionals in the transportation space, including freight, trucking, rail, air cargo, ship/ports, etc.
• Lifetime Achievement – Honors company leaders who have made an outstanding contribution to the supply chain space with at least 10 years’ documented experience in supply chain and logistics.

With hundreds of exceptional nominees to choose from, each category in the Rock Stars of the Supply Chain awards consisted of several honorees who have gone above and beyond to improve supply chain operations. In a recent Q&A, we introduced you to Tyler S., Director of Brokerage Operations for TA’s Leeds, AL brokerage office and recipient of the Rising Stars category. Today, we’ll meet yet another supply chain Rock Star as we sit down with Murali V., a winner in the Top Warehousing Stars category.

Murali serves as the VP of Operations Excellence & Business Development in the warehousing division here at TA Services. In this role, Murali provides warehouse solutions that are tailored to each customer’s unique requirements and operations. From initial conversations to implementation, Murali works to curate long-term customer relationships and to understand each shipper’s pain points and objectives. By analyzing existing operations and goals, Murali is able to provide optimal solutions for customers who partner with TA Services, positioning them for success for years to come.

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Q: Congratulations on being named a 2024 Rock Star of the Supply Chain in the Top Warehousing Stars category! How did it feel to be recognized with this award?

A: I feel honored and excited to have received this award. Being recognized in this capacity serves as a great reminder and motivation for me to further my work and continued learning in the warehousing and logistics space.

Q: You’ve been with TA since 2018, joining the team as a site leader for our largest warehouse facility. In that time, your widespread knowledge of the industry and passion for process improvement led to your promotion to director in 2021, and then ultimately to your current position as VP of Operations Excellence & Business Development in 2023. Can you tell us more about your background in logistics prior to joining TA? Why did you get into the industry and what was the journey like to get to where you are today?

A: I started my career in manufacturing as an Industrial Engineer. My early career involved many assembly-line production and in-plant logistics improvement projects. I quickly learned about the vital role logistics plays in running assembly lines all over the world. Inspired by that, I chose to move into the supply chain field for my next career move. Prior to joining TA Services, I joined a logistics company as a Continuous Improvement Engineer. My main responsibility there was to apply lean principles to warehouse operations and improve efficiency. The experience gained there helped me to better understand the transportation, warehousing, and logistics business from the inside, which ultimately helped me secure an industrial management role at TA Services. From there, I continued to learn and seek out opportunities for improvement – leading to my progression into my current role as VP of Operations Excellence and Business Development.

Q: In the press release for the award announcement, you mentioned that part of your plans for the 2024 year are to open additional multi-client and dedicated warehousing sites across the Midwest. Why the Midwest?

A: At TA, we pick our warehouse locations based on our customers’ requirements and needs. We have customers who are based in the Midwest region, and they need our help with product storage and logistics. The Midwest’s centralized location allows for lower cost storage options and movement of goods. We always have our customers’ costs in mind when we make suggestions and decisions that will benefit their supply chain operations. The Midwest region was a natural fit for an expansion.

Q: It’s no secret that data plays a huge role in successful warehousing operations. From accurate inventory details and mapping out warehouse layouts down to determining what software and programs are needed for improvements – data drives the majority of the decisions you make. What kinds of things do you and your team look at when evaluating a shipper’s supply chain process?

A: From a warehouse operations standpoint, we will evaluate warehouse employee safety, output quality of the processes, material flow, and efficiency to deliver expected outcomes. From a wholistic supply chain standpoint, we will analyze their supply chain network, transportation costs, inventory holding costs, and inventory visibility along with other relevant aspects for specific requirements of our customers.

Q: What advice do you have for shippers that are considering partnering with a 3PL for their warehousing needs?

A: Be picky – choose the right 3PL partner for your needs. A 3PL partner becomes an extension of your business and provides service to your end customers. It is imperative to evaluate and communicate your needs to prospective 3PL providers before committing to a partnership. Often, 3PLs are chosen based on the assets they bring to the supply chain. But companies must also consider the expertise a 3PL partner has to offer regarding industry best practices, continuous improvement initiatives, company culture, technology capabilities, and value-added services. A good 3PL will offer ideas and resolutions that will help businesses avoid common and sporadic mistakes in the supply chain industry.

Q: In your role—and in warehousing in general—data is king. But your role also requires you to have certain soft skills that allow you to seamlessly integrate into another business’s processes and implement strategic changes to drive efficiencies, all without causing disruption. What are some of the skillsets or personality traits you believe are beneficial to someone in a position like yours and do you have any advice you’d like to share with someone who is just getting started in their supply chain career?

A: To be successful in a role like mine, you have to focus on your people skills just as much as your analytical skills and knowledge of the industry. It’s an equal balance of knowing the industry inside out so you can offer the right solutions while being intentional about having a customer’s best interests in mind. I find that when I lead with the mindset of pursuing what is right for them rather than what is easiest for us, everything else tends to fall into place.

My advice for anyone starting their career in transportation logistics or supply chain management is to be intentional. Really listen to your customers and your teammates with the goal of understanding their pain points, needs, and ideas. When you do that, you can take a more wholistic approach with the bigger picture in mind – allowing you to make a larger impact. You may even be likely to find that someone already has the solution for the problems you are working on. Recently, supply chains around the globe have been very chaotic. Being clear in your communications and upfront in your expectations helps to reduce the everyday noise and allows you to create innovative solutions to just about any disruption that arises.

You can view the full list of Food Logistics’ 2024 Rock Stars of the Supply Chain here.

Need a rock star like Murali to help with your warehousing or logistics needs? Get in touch today!